Kendal historian Arthur R. Nicholls recounts how Drunkenness has been dealt with in the town over the years.

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?" The sea shanty provides a good answer.

But what should be done with a drunken Kendalian? In the eighteenth century he might be fined five shillings (a serious sum of money then) or spend six hours in the stocks to sit on a cold stone seat and be subjected to the scorn and derision of the crows and perhaps be pelted with noisome missiles.

Drunkenness was a serious problem in Kendal from the earliest times. In the legend of Dickie Doodle, he is said to have stayed overnight in the Cock and Dolphin Inn by Nether bridge where he became so drunk that he was placed in stocks in Kirkland for the night to sober up.

The last known occupants of those stocks, also for drunkenness, were Johnny Miller, a master smith, and John Shepherd, a well sinker. There were also stocks in Market Place.

The Corporation dealt with the matter of drunk people in 1589, describing them as "persons of insatiable minds without any regard to common honesty or fear of God or his severe punishment, either in this life or the life to come. Who give up their bodies unto all manner of dishonour and dissolute kind of life in quaffing immoderate and superfluous devouring of strong ale and drink at very many needless and unfit times, being so far overtaken and gross that they become beastlike and insensible without reason or any good understanding".

They ordained that anyone seen or known to be besotten or drunken with the devouring of strong drink was to be placed in the Borough dungeon to reclaim and to warn anyone from the lewdness and detestable offence of drinking.

The dungeon, otherwise known as the Court Loft or Black Hole, was under the St George's Chapel in Market Place, beside the Moot Hall where the Borough Court was held.

It was a foul place and prisoners were held in irons. It was said that, during the evening services in the Chapel, the outcries of drunken prisoners below could sometimes overpower the utterances of the preacher.

There was also a lockup in the basement of the Police Office in Finkle Street where drunks were placed overnight pending charges.

Under a shop on the corner of Old Police Office Yard is still a cell containing a stone bench and a ring in the wall for tethering a prisoner.

As could be expected, trouble through drink was rife at public houses. Around 1845, a group of labourers on the Kendal to Windermere railway came into the town after work and, seeing the Bristling Hog over the brush factory in Stricklandgate, thought it was the sign of a public house.

They forced their way into the building and demanded drink. This started trouble and they were arrested for causing a serious breach of the peace.